I'm With You
by Asu91
Summary: Based on a not yet confirmed spoiler about the season 2 finale! Damon's last words to Elena :
1. I'm With You

As I already wrote in the description, this is based on a NOT-CONFIRMED spoiler I found online. However it fits well with the content from the official synopsis for the season finale. For those who haven't found the spoiler yet.

Here it is:

**'Vampire Diaries' Rumored Plot Line For Season's 2 End! [SPOILERS?]**

"During the Sacrifice Damon will get bitten by a werewolf and what should be a tender moment between Elena and Stefan will reveal itself to be a bittersweet farewell. Stefan is going away to search for a cure for his dying brother in season 3. During the _Gone With The Wind_ movie night in town's square Damon's dementia causes him to confuse his memories of 1864 Katherine with his present day feelings for Elena. A long awaited Delena moment happens when Rhett embraces Scarlett for their epic kiss and Damon passionately kisses our heroine. This time Elena doesn't reject him and returns Damon's advances as he collapses to the ground. Elena falls with him, kneeling there beside him, distraught and unsure. "

Well anyway I totally freaked up about it and then decided to write this OS. The Title is inspired by the song "Not Alone" by Red. The lyrics were perfect. That's why included don't cry. I already did :(

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><p><strong>I'm With You<strong>

_Slowly fading away_

_You're lost and so afraid_

Elena was leaning against the wall opposite the couch where Damon was sitting. She was in shock. Her whole body trembled. She didn't want it to be true but it was. In the end the great hero Damon had become the tragic hero and had taken a serious blow. Trying to protect Elena he had lunged at Klaus who had just transformed into a werewolf. Klaus had grazed Damon's arm with his teeth and as they all knew the bite of a werewolf was poisonous and eventually fatal to vampire.

_Where is the hope in a world so cold?_

_Looking for a distant light_

_Someone who can save a life_

Stefan had left after Tyler had told him something about a legend of a cure of the werewolf bite and given him directions where he might find it. If the legend was true, if it was at the place Tyler had said and if Stefan would find it all this wasn't clear. In any case Damon's life hung in balance.

Damon looked straight at Elena.

"Leave."

This single world was all that took her to snap out of her trance.

"What? No!"

"I don't want you to see me like this."

That was only partially true. Of course he didn't want her to see him so weak or even cry for him but another part of him also wanted her to stay with him. He would never admit it out loud but Damon Salvatore was scared. He was afraid of death. The last time he had died it had come to quickly, no time to think about it. But now death crept up on him slowly and painfully.

_Living in fear that no one will hear your cries_

_(Come and save me now)_

Part of him also hoped that Stefan would be successful on his mission. Their relationship had blown up so badly during their attempt to protect Elena. He wanted to make it right before he died. He wanted to tell Stefan all the things he had kept inside so long. How much he needed his little brother and… that he was sorry for all the pain he had put him through.

"It's a little too late for that," Elena snapped, averting her gaze. She really couldn't see him like this. It hurt so much.

"Fine then all of you, get out of here," he said, turning to the pity party around him. Everyone was there. His best friend Alaric, Bonnie, Caroline and Jeremy.

"But – " Alaric began.

"Elena can get you back to say goodbye when it's time."

Elena nodded encouragingly at Bonnie. The witch nodded back and pushed everyone out of the parlor.

"Later, Damon."

When they were gone Elena and Damon were left in silence. Elena searched his gaze but he always turned his head away. At some point Elena moved to walk over to him but he stopped her.

"Stay where you are. I might attack you."

"There are ten blood bags next to you, Damon. I didn't forget the last time someone got bitten by a werewolf," she replied calmly.

"Then you should also know that no matter how much blood I take it's never gonna be enough. At some point I'll snap at you."

Elena shook her head, walked over to him and knelt in front of him so that they were on eye-level. "The worst is already behind us, Damon," she said and tears filled her eyes when she allowed her memories of the worst to flood her mind. "You have already attacked me. You have already momentarily forgotten who I am and you have already mistaken me for Katherine. Now you'll just be still and wait for –"

In that moment she couldn't take it anymore. The tears streamed down her and she held on to Damon's knees for balance. Her tremors had gotten worse the moment she had started to cry.

_I am with you_

_I will carry you through it all_

_I won't leave you_

_I will catch you_

_When you feel like letting go_

_'Cause you're not_

_You're not alone_

It was hard for Damon not to crack at the sight of Elena being so broken up about his coming death. He couldn't really believe it that he meant so much to her. She had always said she cared but she had also denied every feeling beyond caring so far. Her actions now weren't in accordance with her words.

_Your heart is full of broken dreams_

_Just a fading memory_

_And everything's gone_

_But the pain carries on_

_Lost in the rain again_

_When will it ever end?_

_It's Hard to believe_

_It seems so out of reach_

Maybe it was the despair of the situation. The hopelessness both of them were feeling that got Damon thinking that maybe, just maybe she had lied all the time for reasons he couldn't think of. But Elena wasn't stupid. She always had a plan. She always knew of a way of handling things. So maybe it had made sense to her to deny her feelings for him. So maybe it was okay to hope…?

_But I_

_(I am here)_

_I am with you_

_I will carry you through it all_

_I won't leave you_

_I will catch you_

_When you feel like letting go_

_'Cause you're not_

_You're not alone_

"Stop crying, Elena. I'm not worth it," he rasped. His voice was gradually leaving him as well.

"Yes, you are!" she shot back and looked straight at him, not even trying to hide her tears. "You goddamn idiot! Why did you do it? Why didn't you stand back and wait?" she cried.

"I was trying to protect you, Elena. I told you I would also choose you even over my own life."

"I hate you."

Someone in this messed up situation he had to smile about that. He knew she didn't mean it.

"It'll be over soon."

"Don't talk like this!" she snapped. "Stefan will find the cure and he will come back before it's over!"

"Elena, it's been too long. Almost 24 hours have passed." They didn't knew if that was a critical number but when Rose had been bitten her condition had worsened within 24 hours until Damon had spared her any more pain and killed her.

"You're not like Rose. You're stronger than her," Elena said.

He shook his head. The movement hurt. Every move hurt. His whole body was on fire as the wolf poison spread through his veins. He could feel it the end was near.

"Wrong. I'm younger than her. I haven't fed as much as her after I got bitten–"

"Why not?" Elena interrupted him.

"Because it's pointless," he explained simply. "I can feed all I want. It doesn't change anything. It doesn't still the pain or the hunger. It doesn't make me stronger and it doesn't postpone what's coming. You know that. It'll be over soon. I can feel it."

"Don't talk like that!" she repeated shouting.

"If this too much for you then you should go."

"No, I'm gonna stay with you." She didn't have to add the _until the end_.

"I don't want you to be in pain because of me," he stated and pulled up a stake from under the blood bags and held it out for her. "Let's make it quick and nearly painless."

Her eyes widened in shock. "What – no! I won't!" she refused, shaking her head wildly.

"Please, Elena, show me mercy."

"I won't kill you!" she declared.

"Too bad," he replied sadly. "I really thought I'd mean more to you than that."

She still didn't do as he asked. Instead she put her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Elena, let me go," he nearly begged.

"No." She couldn't let him go because than he would see that she was crying again.

She didn't know that he, too, was on the verge of tears when she hugged him. It was too much for him. The world was really cruel. He had to die to get close to her? The Fates really had a twisted sense of humor.

"Let me go, please, Elena," he tried again. "I won't to go to my room and lie down."

She pulled back to look at him. "You're not strong enough."

"If I wasn't I wouldn't come up with idea. Don't worry I'm still strong enough to walk to my own bed."

"Okay." She got up and stepped back. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He got on his feet and felt the dizziness overwhelm him. His vision blurred and his temperature rose. But he didn't let any of it reach the surface. He didn't want Elena to worry about him even more than she already did. But he felt it. The end. Time was running out. And he still had so much to get out.

He took a step toward her.

"Easy, Damon," she said and offered him her hand.

He didn't take it. He stepped closer until they were at arms length. He supported himself on with his hands on her shoulder and she steadied him with her hands on his hips. Then his hands travelled upward to her face to cup her cheeks and his face closed in on hers.

"Damon," she whispered, holding her breath.

"Elena…" he rasped. His voice was about to fail him just like the rest of his body. He had to hurry. "I need to say some things… Please… please just listen… okay?"

She swallowed hard but nodded, looking at him through her tear-streaked gaze. "Okay…"

Damon took deep breath. Now or never.

"I know I haven't been the greatest man to you, Elena. I hurt you so often. When I snapped Jeremy's neck or when I chased you a few hours ago." The memory brought new tears up. "But I want you to know that I'm sorry for the things I did to you and your family and friends. I'm also sorry for the way I treated you lately. I didn't respect you and your choices but I only wanted to protect you, Elena. I couldn't let you go."

"Damon, don't," she pleaded distraught but he went on.

"Because I love you, Elena." There it was. The simple and whole truth. His reason for living, his bare soul out for her to stamp on it or to embrace it. What she did with it would be her choice.

"I love you, Elena," he repeated.

_And I will be your hope_

_When you feel like it's over_

_And I will pick you up_

_When your whole world shatters_

_When you're finally in my arms_

_Look up and see love as a face_

And then fast like a falcon his lips were on hers, kissing her passionately like there was no tomorrow. And there wasn't at least not for him. He didn't care if Elena pushed him away or not. This was his last opportunity to show her how he felt about her. His last chance…

His unbeating heart took a leap – of faith. Elena's face was closer. Their skin touched and sent a tingling sensation through his body but it didn't feel bad. It felt wonderful because –

Elena Gilbert was kissing him back. Her lips moved against his just as passionately as her tears mixed with his tears of joy. It was like a firework had started in his stomach. The heat inside him increased even more. Suddenly he felt so alive and happy. His greatest wish had come true.

_I am with you_

_I will carry you through it all_

_I won't leave you_

_I will catch you_

_When you feel like letting go_

_'Cause you're not_

_You're not alone_

_And I will be your hope_

_You're not alone_

_And I will pick you up_

_And I will be your hope_

All negative feelings were gone. The pain… the fear… the regret…

He felt completely at ease.

_Now I can die_, he thought.

And then everything went black…

"DAMON!"

_Slowly fading away_

_Lost and so afraid_

_Where is the hope in a world so cold?_


	2. I Forgive You

_So I decided to continue this by two more chapters after I woke up with an inspiration boost this morning XD Brace yourself for a really heartbreaking chapter now and look forward to a solution tomorrow! Thank you so much for the kind reviews so far! And to make something clear, Damon isn't dead - yet._

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><p><strong>Chapter Two: I Forgive You<br>**

They were lying in Damon's bed. Elena was resting against the headboard with Damon in her arms. After he had collapsed Elena had called help. Then Alaric and Jeremy had carried him up here. Half an hour passed before Damon woke up again, confused.

"What happened?"

"You fainted," Elena explained, stroking the hair out of his face. "Got me quite a scare."

"I had a dream," he told her. "I dreamt we kissed. It was a dream, right?"

"No, it's wasn't," she corrected him with a sad smile on her lips. "It was real. It happened."

"I can hardly remember it. This dementia is cruel. There are things I don't want to forget. I need to remember them. I can't –"

"Shhh, Damon," she interrupted him softly. "I'm sure you won't forget these moments if you just hold strongly onto them. Keep them in your heard. They're safe there."

"Yeah, I will," Damon agreed.

Elena wanted to cry. He was right. It was cruel.

_Damn it, Stefan_, she thought. _I can't do this._

Having Damon die here in her arms was simply too much for her. But she had to keep it together. She had to be strong for him so that he would have the strength to hold on.

After an awkward moment of silence Damon spoke again. He was once again delusional, saying things that made no sense – at least not to Elena.

"I love you, Elena… And I don't deserve you… But my brother does… But I can't die like this… I can't die with you hating me, 'lena."

He was upset as Elena could tell by the high and desperate tone in his voice. In addition she made a shocking discovery – Damon was crying.

And it broke her heart.

"Shhh, Damon, it's fine," she whispered soothingly. "Calm down, it's fine."

"I can't die with you hating me," he repeated in pained voice and looked directly into her eyes which meant that he was lucid right now. "I'm sorry for what I did to you, Elena."

"It's okay, Damon. Really. When you forced your blood into me I was very angry at you but I understood it. I don't hate you for it. I don't hate you at all," she explained, stroking his cheek.

"You don't?"

"No, how could I?" she replied softly.

"Thank you."

Elena felt her mask crack. She blinked heavily to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall and placed a quick kiss on his forehead.

"And just so you know… you deserve me," she continued. She wanted him to know these things, things he needed to hear before he – No, she pushed that thought aside. Stefan would be back before that. He would walk in through the door within the next minutes. He had to. "You deserve to have what you want, Damon. Caroline told me how you got the bite. You wanted to protect her from Tyler, right? That's one of the things my friend Damon does. He's selfless and protects the people he cares about, including me. You tried so hard to save me, Damon. Thank you for that."

Abruptly she stopped stroking his cheek. Something was off. Why didn't he reply? And then she recalled his last words to her.

_Thank you_

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no! No, Damon, you have to wake up! Damon!" She climbed over to him to the other side of the king-size bed and started to shake him hard. "Damon! Wake up! Come on, open your eyes! Please you have to wake up! Please, Damon!"

She didn't care that she was shouting or that she was crying or that shaking him probably only spread the poison further. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't.

After a minute or two after her outburst had started the door flung open and Alaric, Bonnie and Caroline came inside.

"Get her out of here," Alaric told the girls.

They walked over to Elena and took a hold of each of her arms to pull her away from Damon.

"Come on, Elena, it's better this way."

"Please, Elena. There's nothing you can do for him anymore."

"No!" Elena protested. "I can't! Let me go! I'm sure he'll wake up! Damon! You hear me, Damon? Wake up! It's not funny anymore! Please wake up…!"

Caroline's vampire strength helped a lot to tear Elena away from Damon and drag her out of the room when she struggled against them.

"Ric, please," Elena begged when they passed him.

"I'm sorry, Elena," he apologized. "I promised him. I should have done this long before."

"No! No! Damon!" Elena screamed as Bonnie and Caroline dragged her downstairs.

When she was out of hearing range Damon opened his eyes to meet Alaric's gaze.

"Thank you," he mouthed.

"You're welcome," Alaric replied sadly. "Rest in peace, Damon," he added before he closed the door and went downstairs to join everyone.

The girls were sitting on the couch, comforting a still upset Elena. Jeremy was on his knees in front of her, hugging and comforting her, too.

Right at that moment the front door of the Boarding House opened and Stefan and Tyler entered the house. They walked straight into the parlor to find the grieving group.

When Elena caught side of him she jumped to her feet and walked over to him.

"What took you so long?" she shouted. "He's already dead! You should have been here! You should have made things right with him! Why didn't you?" she cried.

Stefan hung her head.

"Elena," Bonnie said softly and led her back to the couch where they sat down again and Elena buried her face into Bonnie's chest.

Alaric walked over to Stefan.

"Is he really… dead?" the younger Salvatore brother asked, his voice cracking a few times.

"We let Elena believe it so she wouldn't see him at his worst," Alaric explained in a low voice. "Do you have the antidote?"

"No, the legend was fake," Stefan answered sadly.

Ric let that sink in for a second, then he said "Look, the end is near, Stefan. You better go upstairs and say goodbye."

Stefan nodded and walked upstairs. He opened Damon's bedroom door to find his brother lying motionlessly in his bed with his eyes closed.

"Damon, it's me, Stefan," he said as he closed the door.

Damon slowly opened his eyes. "Finally. You're the only one who hasn't attended my pity party yet," he rasped.

"Stop joking about it! There's nothing funny about it!" Stefan shot back and walked over to him to sit on the bed.

"I guess there's no cure?"

No, the legend was fake," Stefan explained.

"Most legends are."

Stefan nodded. "I'm glad I made it back in time… I wanted to make things right before…" He didn't finish the sentence. Damon looked curiously at him, waiting for him to go on. "I know I already told you this but I want to tell you again. I'm sorry for forcing you to turn. It wasn't my choice, it was yours and I took it from you because I was selfish. I shouldn't have. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry," he continued. "for the things I did to your recently. For fighting you, for hurting you… That was selfish of me, too. You deserve Elena's love and respect just as much as I do. I'm sorry, Damon and I really hope you can forgive me," he concluded with tears in his eyes.

"I do," Damon replied in a low voice. "You're my little brother. Of course I forgive you, Stefan. And I don't hate you anymore," he clarified.

"Thank you," Stefan whispered.

Damon's hand found Stefan's and gave it an encouraging squeeze and Stefan squeezed it back.

"Do you forgive me for all the misery I put you through all these years?" Damon asked now.

"I already did a long time ago. I don't hate you anymore, either," Stefan assured him and gave his hand another squeeze which Damon returned.

"Good."

Stefan leant in to kiss Damon's forehead when he noticed him struggling more and more to keep his eyes open. He had completely paled out. Death was close.

"Just go to sleep, Damon," Stefan said soothingly. "Just sleep. I'm with you."

And Damon did as he was told and let his lids drop. Deathly silence developed them. Then, a couple of minutes later Damon's grip on Stefan's hand loosened.

And Damon was gone.

"Rest in piece, big brother," Stefan whispered.


	3. I Need You

_I'm hell bent on keeping me promises so here it is the past chapter of the short fanfiction. Thanks again for your reviews! I didn't want to you make you cry though :( I hope you will feel better after this chapter!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: I Need You<strong>

When Stefan came back downstairs Elena seemed to have calmed down. She wasn't sobbing anymore, just crying silently.

Ric was leaning against the doorframe of the parlor and when Stefan entered he put his hand soothingly on his shoulder.

"He's gone," Stefan said tonelessly. "I can't believe he's gone."

At the sound Elena raised her head to meet his gaze. A spark was immediately transmitted from her to him but it wasn't a comfortable spark.

Suddenly she jumped to her feet and headed for the foyer.

"Elena – " Bonnie began but Stefan cut her off.

"Let her go."

Elena passed him without giving him a single glance and went straight upstairs. When she arrived in Damon's room and saw his dead body, new tears filled her eyes instantaneously. She closed the door, walked over to him and climbed onto the bed to snuggle up to him. She needed to be close to him.

"You're such an idiot," she spoke softly, stroking loose strands of his hair out of his face. "Why do you always have to play the hero? Why didn't you just stand back and wait?" At that point she started to sob again. "It's not fair! I told you- you – you wouldn't lose me. But that didn't mean… that I could lose you! I can't! How could you – do this to me, Damon? How could you… leave me?" She could barely form sentences because there was a huge lump in her throat that was almost choking her. "I'm missing you already. I miss our banters. I miss your stupid jokes and remarks, can you believe it? I even miss that eye-thing that you do! Please, Damon, come back to me!"

She didn't receive a reply. Of course she didn't. But a part of her hadn't given up yet and was still hoping. She couldn't give him up. There had to be a way. She couldn't accept his death.

It was so ironic. All this time she had played such an important role because she was the doppelganger.

_You're the key to breaking the curse. The blood of the doppelganger will break the curse. _

Her stupid blood was so precious when it came to break such a strong curse but in other terms it was just useless.

Or wasn't it?

_The doppelganger is a supernatural occurrence_, Elijah had said.

A supernatural occurrence – that was why her blood was so essential to breaking the curse. It was special. Might even have special powers…?

Abruptly, Elena stopped crying. An absurd idea had formed in her mind and she was determined to test it.

Suddenly excited, her gaze searched the room for something sharp and when she didn't find anything at once she checked her pockets and eventually found her key. Without hesitation she used the sharp key to tear the flesh over the artery in her arm open. She gasped at the pain but bore it. Then she opened Damon's mouth and pressed her bleeding arm against it. Her blood trickled into his mouth and as he was lying flat on his back, it ran straight down his throat. After a moment Elena got used to the pain and tried to get as much of her blood into Damon as possible.

"Come on, Damon. Don't leave me hanging," she said. "This is right, I can feel it. Come on, Damon, wake up."

A few more minutes passed and nothing happened. Elena was already about losing her new found hope until –

Suddenly Damon awoke with a start and his eyes snapped open. They were crimson red in bloodlust. His hands took a firm hold of her arm and positioned it and then he bit down. His fangs pierced her flash and Elena had to bit back a cry of pain.

"That's it, Damon," she encouraged him happily. "Drink."

Damon's hunger was immense. He sucked greedily and didn't want to stop. Eventually, Elena felt herself weaken and dizzy so she forcefully pulled her arm back from him, grabbed one of the blood bags he had ignored earlier, ripped it open with the key and then handed it to Damon. It took four more bags until his hunger subsided.

He tossed the last empty bag aside and met Elena's glowing gaze.

"How is this possible?" he asked amazed.

"The blood of the doppelganger is special, Damon," she explained smiling. "It has healing powers. At first I thought it was just a stupid idea but my instincts told me to try it and so I did."

"I'll never mistrust you instincts again. I can't believe it, I'm alive," he replied.

All tension fell from Elena's shoulders and she started laughing and he quickly joined it. The laughing was liberating.

After a while Damon stopped laughing and straightened up into a sitting position.

He cupped her face with both of his hands and reflected her glowing gaze.

"Did I take too much?" he asked worried.

"No, I'm fine," she answered smiling.

"Thank you," he whispered gratefully and then he kissed her.

The kiss was soft and held so much love in it that Elena thought she was going to burst. She didn't hesitate to kiss him back, just happy that he was alive.

After some minutes they broke apart to catch their breaths. Damon rested his forehead against hers and they smiled at one another.

But then they froze when both of them got a very bad feeling. Simultaneously they turned their heads to find Stefan standing in the door.

**The End**

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><p><em>Mean cliffhanger isn't it? xD Well the rest is up to your imagination. Will Elena stay with Damon or will she apologize to Stefan and say kissing Damon was mistake? I hope for the first but... you know Elena. <em>

_So, I hoped you enjoyed reading this short fanficton just like I enjoyed writing it :) Enjoy the coming episodes even if they make you scream or cry or laugh or everything alltogether XD_

_P.S. I recently got tumblr. You'll find a link to my blog and to my twitter in my profile. So feel free to follow me :)_

_Bye!_


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